Demographics of the Philippines are records of human population in the country, including its population density, ethnicity, education level, health, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population. The Philippines has a population growth rate of 2.04%, one of the highest in Asia.[2] According to the 2010 Census, the population of the Philippines was 92,337,852.[3] The population of the Philippines was first estimated in 1830 with 2.5 million people.[4] As of July 27, 2014, it had reached more than 100 million.[5]

The majority of Filipinos are made up of various ethnolinguistic Austronesian ethnic groups, while the Agtas, an indigenous dark-skinned people form a minority. The indigenous population is closely related to indigenous Malaysians and Indonesians. Ethnic groups that have been in the Philippines for centuries before European and American colonial rule have assimilated, such as various Japanese people, Han Chinese, Indian people, etc., and form a large part of the population.[6][7][8]

The most commonly spoken language is Filipino, which is based on the Tagalog language. Filipino and English are the official languages. Additionally, there are between 120 to 170 distinct indigenous Philippine languages (depending on their classification), a dozen of which have over one million speakers and are recognized as official regional languages. Spanish and Arabic are recognized as voluntary and optional languages in the Philippine constitution.[1] Christianity is the main religion, with Roman Catholicism making up the majority of the population. Other religions include Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and those with no religion.[9] The people of the Philippines are known as Filipinos.

The first census in the Philippines was founded in 1591, based on tributes collected. Based on this tribute counting, there were about 666,712 people in the islands. Thus, during this era, the Philippines was among the most sparsely populated lands in Asia. In contrast, Japan during that era (1500s) already had a population of 8 Million or Mexico had a population of 4 million, which was huge compared to the Philippine's mere 600,000. In 1600, the method of population counting was revamped by the Spanish officials, who then based the counting of the population through church records. In 1798, the population of Luzon or Luconia was estimated to be around 600,000 with the other islands, unknown. In 1799, Friar Manuel Buzeta estimated the population count of all Philippine islands as 1,502,574. However, the first official census was conducted only in 1878, when the population as of midnight on December 31, 1877 was counted. This was followed by two more censuses, namely, the 1887 census, and the 1898 census. The 1887 census yielded a count of 6,984,727,[10] while that of 1898 yielded 7,832,719 inhabitants.[11]

In 1960, the government of the Philippines conducted a survey on both population, and housing. The population was pegged at 27,087,685. Successive surveys were again conducted on 1970, 1975, 1980, and 1990, which gave the population as 36,684,948, 42,070,660, 48,098,460, and 60,703,206 respectively. On 1995, the POPCEN was launched, undertaken at the month of September, The data provided the bases for the Internal Revenue Allocation to local government units, and for the creation of new legislative areas. The count was made official by then President Fidel Ramos by Proclamation No, 849 on August 14, 1995, The population was 68,616,536.

According to the executive director of the Commission on Population Tomas Osias, the population of the Philippines may reach 101.2 million by 2014. Attempts to introduce a reproductive health law to bring down the population growth rate has been consistently opposed by several religious groups, one of them prominently the Roman Catholic Church, the dominant religion of the country.[2]

Education in the Philippines is based on both Western and Eastern ideology and philosophy influenced by the United States, Spain, and its neighbouring Asian countries. Philippine students enter public school at about age four, starting from nursery school up to kindergarten. At about seven years of age, students enter elementary school (6 to 7 years). This is followed by high school (4 years) and senior high school (2 years). Students then take the college entrance examinations (CEE), after which they enter university (3 to 5 years). Other types of schools include private school, preparatory school, international school, laboratory high school, and science high school. School year in the Philippines starts from June, and ends in March with a two-month summer break from April to May, one week of semestral break in October, and a week or two during Christmas and New Year holidays.

Starting on in SY 2011–2012 there will be a phased implementation of a new program. The K to 12 Program covers kindergarten and 12 years of basic education (six years of primary education, four years of junior high school, and two years of senior high school [SHS]) to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship.[23]